1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to surgical retractor blades and more particularly relates to a surgical retractor rotatable blade with a detachable clamp.
2. Background Information
Retractors are used to hold an incision open when performing surgical procedures. A variety of retractors are used, for example, to perform heart bypass operations and operations such as laminectomies. The retractors come with various length and sizes of blades for retracting tissue from the surgical site.
Surgical retractors are generally comprised of a pair of arms parallel to each other extending from a cross bar. One of the arms is preferably fixed at the end of the cross bar while the other is mounted for movement by crank and gear mechanism along a cross bar to open and close the retractor. Multiple retractor blades are attached to each arm by clamps to retract tissue away from the surgical site. The retractor with or without retractor blades attached are placed in an incision with the arms nearly closed and the movable arm crank open to spread and hold an incision open during surgery. One such surgical retractor is shown and described in U.S. Design Pat. No. 361,381 issued to the same inventors as the device disclosed herein.
Retractor blades are attached to the retractor arms either before or after placement of the retractor and are positioned in the incision to hold tissue away from the surgical site. The retractor blades are generally adjustably mounted on the retractor arms by retractor blade clamps. Preferably the retractor blades are mounted by a clamp gripping a groove or channel in the retractor arms for adjustable movement parallel to the arms. The construction and arrangement of the arm and groove allow multiple blades to be mounted and removed to keep the surgical site clear of surrounding tissue.
Presently retractor blades are clamped onto retractor arms at right angle to the arms. Some retractor blades have an integrally formed clamp for clamping the blade on a retractor arm. The retractor clamp has a mechanism including a tongue for insertion in a channel or groove in the retractable arm from adjustable movement parallel to the arms. Since the retractor arms are at a fixed angle to the retractor cross bar, the position of a retractor blade clamped to a retractor arm is determined by the position of the arm. Therefore, when placed in an incision the surgeon has to jockey the retractor after attaching the blade to get the best retraction of tissue and organs at the surgical site. To adjust the angle of the retractor blades the whole retractor must be moved to achieve the best position. It would be advantageous if the angular position of the retractor blades could be adjusted when securing the blade to the retractor arm.
Also retractor blades that have an integrally formed clamp makes their manufacture and construction complicated and expensive. Another advantageous feature would be the separation of the clamp and the blade so a variety of variable length and design blades could be used with a separate detachable clamp.
It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide an improved retractor blade that is adjustable after being mounted on a retractor arm.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved retractor blade that has an angular adjustment after attachment to a retractor arm.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved retractor blade that is detachable from a retractor blade clamp.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved retractor blade clamp that is constructed to accept a wide variety of retractor blades that can be angularly adjusted after the clamp is attached to a retractor arm.